The Wolf and the Imp
by Twilight Stallion
Summary: They were two souls separated by light and shadow. Yet against all odds they bonded together to save Hyrule from evil. But it didn't happen overnight. A series of oneshots fleshing out the relationship between Link and Midna. [Twilight Princess]


_A/N: This is something I just wanted to give a test run. I had a bunch of miscellaneous ideas I really couldn't use anywhere else, so this is the latest brainchild of my cluttered imagination. Just a note before you read; all of these one-shots happen while Link is in wolf form. Also, I like to think that as a wolf, Link can communicate verbally with Midna in some way, even if no one else can understand. Maybe it's telekinesis, I'm not sure. Anyway, I had to do something to make this work. So enjoy, and reviews always make me happy. _

* * *

First Meeting

Twilit Hyrule Castle:

Lanayru Province

_His slanted eyes flutter open in awakening, taking in a stone cell enforced with bars. He feels the soreness locking his joints, and groans. Hearing the deep growls emanating from his throat, he tries to stand, finding that he now stands on four limbs. He feels strange; the fur is thick and itchy, and to his disgust, crowded with fleas. His vision is colorless, adding to his disorientation._

_He sees the iron shackle enclosing his left paw. Growling involuntarily, he lowers his head and takes the chain in his teeth. With a few choice tugs, he knows it is no use._

_Then he hears a faint giggle echoing across the seemingly still dungeon. A shape becomes visible in the shadows, and he stares relentlessly into it. His head is poised in a slightly crouched position, noticing a single, cat-like yellow eye staring right back at him._

_The exchange is mutual. The wolf glimpses the imp for the first time._

* * *

Blue-Eyed Beast

Ordon:

Faron Province

"_They hate me,"_ the wolf wordlessly grieved. _"They utterly despise me."_

He padded aimlessly through the forest underbrush, elongated nose trailing the floor. His tail hung limply between his hind legs, and made no noise as the tip brushed along piles of wet leaves. Nothing else odd could be observed of this scene; a lonely canine wandering through the woods, had he not been carrying a sword scabbard in his teeth and a wooden shield cradled just so on his back. Thus, it was an unusual sight, indeed.

The wolf reached what he recognized as the Ordon Spring, and with listless relief he waded his paws into the rippling water, letting the scabbard drop gently from his jaws.

Joining the other strange qualities about the wolf, his shadow suddenly fluttered by its own volition, releasing a high pitch giggle that slew the night air like a knife. With a jerk, the shadow thickened, forming the shape of a small body, and fully materialized as the imp, Midna.

"Well of _course_ they hate you!" she trilled, in a smart way that irritated the wolf. "Maybe you were the big shot in the village before. But now you're a beast!"

Midna glided just a few feet above the canine's head, circling him tauntingly. "So what's your problem? You had no trouble with those shadow beasts inside the castle! Now you're all upset 'cause some weakling human waved a sword at you? He barely touched you!"

The wolf growled. _"You don't understand. It's not whether he hit me or not that matters. It's just…all I did was walk up to him, and he attacked. He never realized who I was."_

"Well, have you really seen what you look like?" Midna drawled, her fanged grin widening condescendingly. "You're a-"

"_A beast! I know!" _The wolf barked in frustration. _"Do you think I'm a simpleton? Do you think the tail and the snout are for decoration?"_

"Look, I don't have time to delve into matters of your intelligence," Midna rolled her eyes. "I was simply asking if you've seen what you look like."

"_Well, I…"_

"Have you?"

The wolf's ears tilted back. _"Not really, no."_

"Well," Midna's floating form dipped into a downward curve until she was parallel to the surface of the spring. "Take a look, see."

Unsure of whether he really wanted to, the wolf swallowed. Reluctantly he bent his head down and gazed mistily at his reflection.

Two pairs of slanted azure eyes glared back at him, almost blended into the blueness of the water. His snout was long and skinny, yet protruding from his mouth were dozens of gleaming teeth, all curved and serrated for biting. Grisly gray fur covered his face, and was interrupted around the eyes and forehead by an ivory colored symbol. The face was deranged, the eyes glinting with inner predatory thoughts. The mouth was slightly open, panting, dripping a little from rabid saliva.

Wolf Link retreated hastily from the water's edge, his heart pounding. _"You're right…I'm…nothing. I'm a beast…"_

Slowly, the wolf picked up the resting sword and withdrew from the spring. _"I'm a monster."_

* * *

Fire and Ice

Zora's Domain:

Lanayru Province

What was likely a rushing cascade at one time was now completely frozen over, creating a nearly vertical white ledge. The solid field of ice beneath it was slippery for the wolf to walk on; already the poor creature had stumbled helplessly to his belly while the imp sitting astride his back laughed at his clumsiness.

"Come on, get up!" she cried impatiently when the wolf hesitated to rise. "We need to get to that waterfall!"

"_What for?"_ The wolf stiffly rose to all four, shivering. The ice had dampened his fur, and now he was chilled to the bone.

"Well, we need to find out what's damming the river," the imp stated matter-of-factly. "We need the water to rise if we're gonna see that Light spirit. And Zora's Domain is the place to go, from what we've heard. Now come on, you lazy mutt! Go!" She grasped his fur with her tiny fingers and clapped his ribs with her heels.

Feeling little painful jabs in his side from her kicking, the wolf meekly pressed on, stepping with care over the smooth, glassy ice plain.

The statue of water appeared far taller when the wolf stood right at the base. It stretched skyward until the very top seemed to touch the heavens, the heavens that were blended with the hazy clouds of Twilight.

The imp arose from her steed and hovered just above a ledge that jutted out from the icy cascade, about twenty feet above where the wolf stood.

"Looks like we'll have to climb this," she giggled. "Well, you know what to do." The fiery orange hair she sometimes used as an appendage waved upward, forming a hand and sending the waves of shadow magic in the wolf's direction.

The canine whined a little, pacing back a couple steps. He knew what Midna had in mind, and the thought filed him with renewed anxiety. The last few times he and the imp had attempted the magic-fueled jumps had ended in near disaster. And as the imp always stated, the accidents were his fault. The wolf had unwillingly placed his trust in the fact that Midna was very capable with her magic, and that she had the ability to guide him through the air to safety. However, when the wolf leaped and aimed off course, he had inadvertently broken through the shadow magic and tumbled down the ledge, nearly breaking bones as he landed.

The wolf reluctantly bent his legs and lowered his body until his belly touched ground. He tensed his muscles and prepared to lift off.

When the moment came, he sprung from his position, and with the help of Midna's magic he sailed upward and onward, farther than any normal wolf could possibly have jumped. He was incredulous, and at the same time relieved when all four paws touched the ledge.

The imp preformed a back flip in the air and smiled. "You did it!" she said, although her tone sounded prouder of her own ability than the wolf's. "Next one! Heehee!" Midna floated another fifteen feet or so over the wolf's head to another jutting ledge. "Come on, wolfie! Come, boy!" she called, whistling and clapping her knees like an excited child.

Without hesitating, the wolf leaped from the ledge, blue eyes sheer and focused on the towering ridge before him.

This time, only his forepaws reached the ledge. And the ice beneath them cracked, and crumbled into rocky dust that plummeted downward. The wolf fell along with it, howling fearfully as he helplessly rolled down the frozen cascade and landed on the icy plain, back where he started.

The wolf did not move, sore and shivering from the icy needles that penetrated his thick gray coat. The cold stung his joints and his paws the worst. He did not try to rise for another few minutes.

Midna spiraled downward to meet the wolf face to face, her expression disdainful. "What was _that?_" she cackled. "Pitiful. I said we should _climb _it, not slip and fall on your face! Get up and do it again. And hurry up!"

Lifting his head up an inch, the wolf glared ferociously into the imp's scornful yellow eyes. _"No."_

"What?" Midna straightened with surprise, sneering and folding her arms. "What did you just say?"

"_I said no." _The wolf groaned, forcing his body into an upright sitting position. _"This is out of my league, Midna. I'm not letting you drive me to death."_

"Maybe you don't quite understand," the imp's voice was spoken with a forked tongue. "You're my servant. You do as I say. And over these falls is the only hope for the future of your world! Are you saying that you've given up and decided to run with your tail in between your legs like a helpless puppy?"

The wolf was silent. His lip curled, revealing a single, white fang that clearly demonstrated his fury. Midna was indifferent, partaking in the canine's unspoken staring contest. The imp mouthed a single word, and devilishly grinned as she did so. "Coward."

That did it. The wolf leapt at the imp, teeth bared and letting out a gurgling roar. The attack was useless, as Midna instantly disappeared and reappeared several feet behind the wolf, who densely looked side to side searching where she had gone. He whirled around to face her, snarling. _"I'm no coward."_

"Oh yeah?" The imp grinned again, gesturing to the cascade that still awaited their ascent. "Prove it."

* * *

Desperation

Hyrule Field / Castle Town:

Lanayru Province

The rain was merciless. Fat raindrops billowed down and struck the earth so hard, it seemed it would flood the world in minutes. The dark, overcast night sky lit up as a bolt of lightning seared across the atmosphere, followed by a rumbling boom of thunder. Through this terrifying storm, the wolf loped across sodden grassland, heading straight for the castle illuminated by the lightning.

His breathing came in quick, sharp grunts as his long legs labored to maintain his fastest gait possible. His tongue flailed limply from the corner of his mouth, catching the cold raindrops to taste the rawness of nature. The imp Midna clung to his back, weakly sighing with pain. Her skin had become ghostly white, her face sick and pale, and her eyes were squeezed shut to block out the stinging rain.

Wolf Link dared to slow to a trot, panting in shuddering gasps. He felt his lungs flatten from a lack of oxygen. He looked hopelessly over his shoulder at Midna. The imp looked worse.

"…Link…please…" she uttered. She sounded small. "Princess…Zelda…in the castle…"

"_I'm trying,"_ Link protested, feeling his legs shake a little from exhaustion. _"It's so far, though…the rain is making it impossible…"_

Midna turned her face away from him, shuddering. "It…it's okay, Link…" she whispered. "Don't kill yourself…it's too late for me…but you need to see the Princess…you need…her guidance…"

Link stared at her with his wolfish eyes, then he realized. _She really is dying…but she can't! I can't give up!_ Somehow, he summoned up more energy and began to lope again, ignoring the cramps that seized his legs and chest. _"Hold on, Midna,"_ he pleaded between breaths. _"Just hold on a little bit longer…"_

* * *

More Than She Seems

Faron Woods:

Faron Province

The way to the Sacred Grove was longer than Link expected. Being stuck as a wolf did not help one bit, either. There were many times during his journey when he wished for Epona; his paws seemed permanently swollen from his constant motion. He was thankful for one thing; Midna barely spoke throughout the journey.

At first, her muteness was unsettling. Link had, for the most part, become accustomed to the imp's frequent outbursts and giggles, and even her snide remarks when he tripped or made a mistake. However, ever since the events that occurred following the encounter with Zant, and that night in the castle tower, Midna had changed. She still seemed to be in a subtle state of shock; everything she did was careful and meek. The imp lowered herself gently onto Wolf Link's back rather than bouncing down carelessly as she used to. Even confined to his beastly form, Link tried to make conversation with the imp to ease the tension, but he never received anything more than a nod or a one-word reply.

For now, Link decided to let her be, and the two continued their trek to Faron Woods in silence.

They sought shelter in a cave overlooking Hyrule Field by sundown on the third day. Though the pink sky was clear, the air was crisp and cold, sending a chilling breeze every now and then. Wolf Link knew it would only get colder once it was dark, and chose a cave that was both dry and small.

As the wolf shook his pelt from the cold, Midna rose from her seat and hovered for a moment. She gazed over the Hyrulean plain with a solemn countenance, as if reminiscing a painful memory. The Twili looked so out of place within the realm of light, and she felt the isolation. With a sigh, she floated downward and landed lightly on the ground, crossing her short legs.

The wolf glanced briefly at her, and then bent his nose down his leg to nip at a flea. _"Damn these parasites,"_ he cursed. _"If the Goddesses simply HAD to turn me into something, why couldn't it have been an animal without fur?"_

"What are you complaining about, now?" Midna snapped, her voice low. Wolf Link pricked his ears in surprise; that was the longest sentence the imp had uttered since they left Castle Town.

In his defense, he replied, _"Despite its advantages…sometimes I hate being a wolf. At least all the time. I wish I could just switch back and forth somehow."_

"Well there's nothing you can do," Midna told him, her lips creased into a frown.

"_Aren't you supposed to be some kind of sorceress? Why can't you do anything about it?"_ Link huffed.

"I've already told you; Zant's curse is too powerful," Midna chastised. "So until we find this Master Sword, you're trapped like this. Stop being such a baby."

The wolf growled. _"You don't know what it's like. Maybe when you're transformed into something unsightly, you'll understand."_

Midna suddenly turned her head around to face him. Her gaze was stony, and slowly evolved into something else. Was she…hurt?

The imp sniffed and retreated into the cave without another word in reply.

* * *

Night

Faron Woods:

Faron Province

Midna shivered in her curled position, awakening from a fretful sleep. The chill was settling into the cave, and she had only her own body heat to protect her from it. She wrapped her slender arms around her body, but it was little use.

She was tempted to use her magic to generate more warmth, but she knew her energy level was too low to produce it. She considered building a fire, like the humans often did, but she felt no desire to leave the cave in search of wood to burn. Instead, she tried to ignore the cold, and pretended in vain to sleep.

Suddenly, Midna sensed something moving at the other end of the cave. Next thing she knew, a large furry body had curled up beside her. The wolf's head was tilted toward her, eyes closed peacefully. His tail rested flaccidly in an arch, enclosing the imp in a little den of warmth.

Midna gazed for a moment at the wolf's sleeping face. His black nose wrinkled a little as he snored, releasing a puff of mist in the cold air. The imp gave a weak smile, then took the wolf's tail and wrapped it over herself like a blanket.

The imp was sleeping soundly within minutes.

* * *


End file.
